Boot-jack and burglar-alarm combined



UNITED STATES P GFFICE.

F. C. GOFFIN, OF NEIVARK, NEW JERSEY.

BOOT-JACK .AND BUBGLAR-ALARM COMBINED.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,844, dated April 6, 1858.

To all lwhom 'it may cof/wam:

Be it known that I, F. C. GOFFIN, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Implement or Device Which Serves the Purpose of a Boot-J ack and Burglar- Alarm; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal central sections of my invention showing the two diierent uses to which it may be applied. Fig. 3, is a plan or top view of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists in the employment or use of two adjustable or movable jaws and a spring treadle attached to a bed or plate and used in connection with a catch, the parts being so arranged as hereinafter described that the treadle is made to perform the double function of operating the jaws when pressed down by the foot and the implement used as a boot jack, and of sounding an alarm when the implement is used vas a burglar alarm and placed in proper position against a door.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I willl proceed to describe it.

A represents a bed or plate the area of which may be somewhat less than the sole of an ordinary size human foot. rljhis bed or plate may be a solid plane or it may be cast in skeleton form and of any ornamental pattern. To the front end of the bed or plate A, two jaws B, B, are pivoted as shown at (a), (a). These jaws are of curved form and the pivots (a) pass through them near their inner ends.

C, is a treadle the form of which may correspond to that of the bed or plate A. One end of this treadle is placed loosely on a rod or shaft (o) the ends of which are fitted in ledges (c) on the bed or plate A near the end opposite to that to which the jaws B, B, are attached. On the shaft (b) a spiral spring D, is placed, one end of which is connected to the bed or plate A, the opposite end being connected to or bearing against the treadle C, and having a tendency to throw it upward. To the front end of the treadle C, a taper or wedgeshaped penant E, is attached and in the end of the bed or plate A opposite to that where t-he jaws B, B, are attached there is placed a slide F, having a vertical projection (el) attached to it, the upper end of which has a shoulder (e) at two opposite sides for the purpose of catching over transverse bars (f), (g), in the treadle C. To the front end of the bed A and to its under side a prop or support G, is hinged or connected by a joint so lthat it may be adjusted at right angles with the bed or plate A, or be turned up in the same plane with it. e

The implement is used as a boot jack as follows. The slide F is so adjusted that the front shoulder (e) on the projection (d) will catch over the cross bar The treadle C, is consequently allowed a certain degree of play or movement, the spring D, keeping the pendent E above the inner ends of the jaws B, B, and the shoulder (el) retaining the treadle at the proper height.y

The outer ends of the jaws B, B, are distened or forced apart, the inner ends being thereby brought in contact, and t-he prop or support G is turned down at right angles with the bed or plate A, as shown in Figs. l and 2. The heel of the boot is then placed between the outer parts of the jaws B, B, and the treadle C is depressed by the disengaged foot the taper or wedge-shaped pendent E, passing down between the inner ends of the jaws B, B, distending said ends and forcing toward each other the outer parts, said parts firmly grasping t-he heel or back portion of the boot as the foot is withdrawn from it.

vWhen the implement is used as a burglar alarm the other shoulder (e) of the projection (ci) is shoved over the cross bar (g) and the implement is placed on the floor the lower end of theprop or support penetrating the iioor or carpet so as to retain the implement in proper position, the outer end of the slide F, being against the door A', see Fig. 2. If the door A be slightly opened the slide F, will be forced inward, the projection (e) thrown off the bar and the spring D, will force the treadle C boot-j ack alarm, made substantially as hered in described, to Witz-the bed A, jaws B, treadle C, pendent E, slide F, and spring D, arranged substantially as described, 15 whereby the article serves the double purpose of a boot-j ack and door-alarm.

F. C. GOFFIN.

Witnesses W. TUsoH, WM. HAUFF. 

